


Moon(y) Shades

by sn0wghost



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Potter - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Dating, Fun, Funny, Harry Potter - Freeform, Humour, Love, Multi, NO DEATH, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-19 03:18:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5951779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sn0wghost/pseuds/sn0wghost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus and Tonks recall their first date, and James Potter Sr retains his title of Prank King.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Presently Awful

**Author's Note:**

> Before you begin to read this, I just wanted to include a quick note.
> 
> This is an AU, in which no one has died.  
> Pettigrew doesn't exist (as his soul purpose for the Marauders in canon was to eventually betray them). The characters are going to seem different, slightly out of character (but I will try to keep them close to character as possible, given the circumstance).  
> The First Wizarding war did still occur, and the bad guy was defeated. So there's still some PTSD and war wounds that the elder wizards and witches are suffering. But James and Lily don't die, Sirius has never gone to Azkaban, Harry grew up with Mom and Dad.
> 
> If you want angst, then look elsewhere. This is a funny, romantic story about Tonks and Remus; and how much the Marauders stayed true to themselves. There's going to be a lot of fluff, a lot of laughter, and a complete contrast to 99.9% of the original Potter books.
> 
> Put simply this story is trying it's hardest to perfectly convey, "You can't help growing older, but growing up is a choice."
> 
> Thank you for reading,  
> Bambi <3

A giant caricature of a reindeer peered down at them from the mantle piece; its giant head barely propped up on a miniscule body and spindly legs. Every so often it would emit a high-pitched squeal, until someone dropped brandy on its nose.

“Remind me,” Tonks laughed, eyeing the ornament with something akin to amusement, “how long are we meant to keep this thing out?”  
Pax’s pudgy hands clamoured out for it, and as another whine spilled from the enchanted object, her eyes shone with want.

Noting the small child’s desire, Teddy leaned over and handed his sibling a similar looking, much safer, and very much more decidedly plush reindeer. Another present courtesy of Uncle James. The Potters, all of them, were due over at the Lupin residence for Christmas, and the reindeer was a gift ‘handmade with you just in mind’, the note read, before it burst into a shower of golden glitter. Which was still finding its way into the baby’s nappies, Remus’ moustache, and on every bootlace Tonks could see.

Remus, pyjama-clad and bleary-eyed, glared at the offending object, muttering something about revenge and the Holyhead Harpies. A knock interrupted any real response, and Teddy dutiful went to see who was there, picking Pax up as he went.

“Surprise!” A chorus of voices nearly knocked the Lupin children down, a barricade of freckles and blazing red hair tumbled from the snow and into the hall, spilling down toward the living room before the two could gather their wits. Voices filled the house immediately, Albus and James followed up the rear, apologetic smiles on their faces.

“Alright, T?” James grinned, chucking Pax under the chin, “P, look at you!” Cooing under the attention, the baby’s hair ran through all colours of the rainbow. Teddy was currently sporting a mop of gentle teal curls, and had recently fashioned himself some gently pointed ears. Bright green eyes met gentle blue, and all three boys fell into an easy pattern. Jostling and jousting down to the hall, the four crept into the lounge and got as close to the tree as they could dare.

“Rose, Hugo!” Teddy cried, handing a grizzling Pax to the former of the two. It seemed the Weasley children had had the same idea, and all of them settled by the mountain of presents. A gentle silence blanketed the room when they sat, and anticipation crept along everyone’s skin, waiting for the first child to break and ask for a present.

_Yeeeeeooowwwwhhhhhhhhh-uh!_

The reindeer beat them to it. Laughter peeled from all mouths, none louder than James Potter Sr himself, the very provider of the gift, “Alright, alright, if you push the tail in, it turns the charm off,” A glare from Tonks prompted a very sincere, “I swear! That’s how it works!”

Tonks pulled the offending object toward her, pushed its tail and watched with unveiled cynicism as the reindeer’s mouth clamped shut, and a lock appeared over its muzzle. For now, she was placated, but if it made another noise, James would be the first on the end of her wrath, “This is worse than that sodding singing chicken from last year,” she grumbled at him, unable to keep a smile from her face, “At least that only took batteries.” Of course, she had had Remus to explain to her that the batteries could be taken out, and then spent the next week researching batteries, becoming increasingly enchanted by the idea of little blocks of portable power. The chicken was still hung up in their porch, greeting anyone who used the back door with a series of gentle warbles, and when it was in a particularly bad mood, the occasional swear word.

“Still,” Harry interjected, “not as bad as the self-wrapping towel Dad got me a few birthday’s ago.” Everyone knew the story, but it didn’t stop them from recalling how Harry had text them en masse, a garbled message of auto correct nonsense about being trapped. Ron had been the one to find him; hands bound to his feet, the towel circling his ankles and wrists like a boa snake, stark naked save for a wisp of thread hanging between his legs. Magic had been strictly off the Potter menu for bath time since then; a fact James was most grateful for, because it meant Albus couldn’t charm the taps to run purple dye when he was in there.

As the children unwrapped this years spoils, the adults shared tales of their worst presents; Harry recounting the few years he had gone to stay with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, trying to bridge the gap between the Dursley’s and the Potter’s. A huge mistake by all means, but nonetheless one they tried multiple times, much to Harry’s disdain. Socks five sizes too big, riddled with holes; Dudley’s old football boots with mud still in them and an old, dead spider. Ron’s first attempts at seriously buying Hermione romantic gifts, including an imitation Phoenix which would burst into flame if anyone so much as glanced at it.

“But nothing,” James breathed out between laughs, “nothing will ever top the month of the Great Moon Shades.”

“Don’t! I’m still not over it, I don’t think I could live through another retelling,” Remus protested, eyes now panicked and wide as saucers, “Is it really appropriate for the children?”

Tonks laughed at him, the silly old boy, and stroked his cheek, “Pax has been hearin’ this story since before she could even babble, and you know it,” she grinned at him, wolfishly, “I think it’s high time we relive that story.”


	2. Panicked Puppy

There wasn’t much that made a werewolf nervous, not a lot left to fear when you spent each month suffering amnesiac bouts. Remus didn’t think he had anything to be scared of, not being so used to waking up in his best friend’s back yard, blood and fur caked under his nails and a pile of clothes waiting for him to wrap his naked form in. That was until he met a one Nymphadora Tonks.

Not that he would ever, ever call her that out loud. The girl with wild hair and sparkling eyes set nerves running down every inch of Lupin’s spine. Which is why, with trembling hands, he was buttoning up the last of his shirt, staring into the mirror and lamenting the genes that gave him such an awful affliction to premature worry-lines.

 

It was in this state that James found him, half an hour later, gazing with worried eyes into his own reflection. His shirt still not fully buttoned, feet un-socked, dazed and confused, Lupin regarded James with unveiled terror.

“I thought I was the vain one,” James laughed awkwardly, pulling his best friends’ collar together and finishing the buttons up, “You’ve been up here an hour, and all you’ve done is stare at yourself? Come on, Moony, this isn’t like you at all!”

 

A non-committal noise escaped Lupin’s mouth, and he pushed James’ flapping hands away from his throat. It felt like being paper thin and fragile, he didn’t like it. But the moon was filling; the knowledge crept up the back of his spine and tickled at the bottom of his brain.

“I’m going to call it off,” finding his voice, Lupin jumped up, buttoning the last of his shirt, “I can’t go. She can’t see me like this, she just can’t. I- what?” During the rant, James had begun to laugh, silently, great big shakes made him convulse, and his eyes were spilling over with tears.

 

“The great Remus Lupin, scared of a girl!”

 

Disgruntled, Lupin regarded his friend with curiosity, wondering just why that was so funny. Tonks wasn’t just any girl, that much was obvious; so why was this so amusing.

 

“Oh come _on_ , Loop!” James continued, wiping his eyes and eventually calming, “you’ve stared a wolf in the face, but teeny tiny Tonks scares you?! You’ve leapt from a cliff without even blinking, drawn wands with wizards twice your size, stolen a troll’s club just to see what happened – and this is what brings you down to your knees? Tonks?! You are being ridiculous.”

 

"I am not being ridiculous," said Lupin steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole." Standing by the window, Lupin’s eyes caught the darkening sky and a frown etched across his face.

 

“But she wants you,” James insisted, “and men who are young and whole, do not always remain so.” Coming up behind his friend, the black haired man gently turned his companion around, smiling softly, “Anyway, I got you something, to help. Figured you would end up doing something stupid like this.”

 

Opening a wand-length box, James produced a pair of green tinted glasses and handed them over gently, “They’re moon shades. I don’t know how they work exactly, but they’re something Fred and George made. Oh, don’t give me that look,” Lupin was regarding his friend with obvious scepticism, “They’re smart boys, and you know it. They’re something to do with Wolfsbane and solidifying potions. Like I said, I don’t know. But they made them for you. We were going to wait until Christmas but… there’s no time like the present.”

 

Grinning, Lupin took the glasses and hooked them over his ears. What’s the worst that could happen, he mused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there's likely to be only a few more chapters after this.  
> Okay so I lied, there's a little bit of angst in this. And I just had to include that "young and whole" line, I love it so.
> 
> What is the worst that could happen, I wonder?


	3. Lost in Translation

Another hour passed in which Remus paced, whined, panicked, worried. James became increasingly more and more entertained, letting his friend sweat it out as the minutes ticked by. Watching this great man, someone who had overcome a wolf attack and lived to tell the tale, become reduced to nerves over a girl; it was a story James was sure to remember and retell for years.

 

There was a knock on the door, cracking open the silence over their heads, “Ah! A tutti piace odore di cane!” Lupin stuttered out, wondering where those words came from. Maybe nerves were still getting the better of him, and old Italian phrases lodged in his mind from long-ago forgotten forced tutoring were coming out in place of it, “U-uhm, she’s here, I suppose. Well, I uh… I better get the door, really, shouldn’t I?”

 

Forcing his face into a sombre expression, James nodded seriously, gesturing down the hall, “I suppose you should, old friend, I suppose you should.” The moment Lupin’s back was turned, James was reduced again to silent laughter. The Italian was surprising, and no doubt in his mind a work of the Moon Shades, where that would take either of the lovebirds tonight, he had no idea. Wiping tears away, he turned to see a rather pink-faced Tonks, her hands fluttering nervously over her dress. It was endearing, really, to see both of them so unnerved and almost scared. Two of the bravest, most foolhardy and reckless magic makers James had ever known, were both taken down to balls of worried energy, just at the prospect of a date.

 

“T-Tonks you look… you look lovely,” Lupin was beaming, his mouth taking up most of his face, “Well, we should be going, I think!” Nodding to himself, he turned to James and almost scowled, “and you… well, just stay out of trouble for a little bit. Non c'è pollo nello spazio!” Looking startled at his own outburst, the wolf hustled himself and his date out of the door.

 

“What’s with the … Italian, Lupe?” Tonks queried, walking alongside him down the almost empty street, “and the glasses, actually?”

 

“I-I just thought learning a few phrases would be good, that’s all,” Lupin said, “You do speak Italian, don’t you? I know you’re well phrased in at least five languages ,was it?”

 

Tonks stifled a laugh, she was indeed fluent in Italian, but she shook her head, “Sorry, I don’t. Korean, Spanish, French, some very rusty German and a bit of Latin is all I’m capable of, Remus. Shocked y’didn’t remember.” With a faux gasp, Tonks looked over at her companion with wide eyes, “Am I that forgettable, Lupin?”

 

“Come uno zio scimmie. Ah- sorry! I think… I-I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Tonks,” Lupin stammered over his embarrassment, realising what he had just said, the little Italian he could consciously remember coming back to him, “I guess we could put it down to nerves. And you are anything but forgettable, I promise.”

 

With both of them blushing furiously, Lupin sent out a prayer to whatever deity was keeping some sort of watch out for him; as they had arrived at the restaurant.

“Table for two, Madam,” he smiled at the Maitre D’, “E una bottiglia di sudore imp- ah! Voglio dire, una bottiglia del vostro vino più fine, si prega di!” Another scarlet tinge coloured Lupin’s cheeks and ears, with a burning face he followed his date and the waitress to a beautifully laid out table. A small candle burned in the dish surrounded by pink rose petals, that ocassionally let out a little sneezing sound, and a rush of perfumed air.

 

“Thank you, ever so much,” Lupin smiled at the waitress, as he bustled himself over to Tonks’ chair to pull it out for her, “I got it from here. The wine, if you please?” Nerves were making him snappish again, but the moonlust was almost fully abated.

“So, Tonks,” settling in his own seat, Lupin fiddled with the cutlery set before him, “what were you doing today?”

 

“Mn? Oh, you don’t wanna know tha’!” Tonks grinned over the candles and petals, wrinkling her nose as a particularly violent petal blew perfume right in her face, “’sides, Ministry business isn’t it?” Winking conspiritually, she laughed at Lupin’s face, the downtrodden expression was so obvious and evident, bless his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that concludes the first half of Tonks' first date with her future husband. Again, thank you so so much for reading. It really does mean so much!
> 
> I used Google translate, because it's meant to be horrific Italian.  
> Hopefully people know what it is making Lupin speak like that (if you do, leave a comment)!
> 
> Okay, so here's a rough translation of each of the phrases;  
> (1) Everyone loves to smell like dogs  
> (2) There are no chickens in space  
> (3) Like a monkey's uncle  
> (4) And a bottle of imp sweat- ah! I mean, a bottle of your finest wine, please!


	4. Most Fowl

Lupin was going to murder whatever it was making him so nervous, whatever was giving way to these spouts of horrific Italian. So far he'd told Tonks that she had an odour of _asino_ (donkey), he enjoyed plucking his nose hair, and that he was incredibly aroused. In fact, this phrase had popped up around six times in the night. Each time Lupin translated it to mean "This meal is delicious!", although this proclamations of "Sto eccitato!" were eliciting some stares from other patrons of the restaurant.

All the while, Tonks' amusement grew. Every word of Italian that slipped past her dates lips, she could fully comprehend. Keeping up the pretence that she was ignorant to the language was becoming more and more difficult; especially so, when an obviously involuntary "Prendere il pollo e spingere in culo!" ("Take this chicken and shove it up your ass!") sprang forth from the man's lips, directly at the waiter, who walked away with unveiled disdain. After chuckling behind her napkin, Tonks finished off the buttery mushrooms swimming around her plate, watching the man she had grown to admire become even more inflamed with every passing minute. Something was going on, it couldn't be down to the nerves anymore. Tonks had noticed the glasses, obviously, but she hadn't said anything. Mostly because she didn't want to seem ignorant of the man needing spectacles.

Once dessert had been finished off, with a series of yells of, "Io sono probabilmente pronti a nuotare ora!" ("I am probably ready to swim now!") from Lupin, he caught the bill, and the two departed the establishment.

Apologising again, even going so far as to bow a little in his dates direction, Lupin was so full of embarassment that at the very least he could no longer feel his moonlust. Taking a glance at the sky showed the night to be cloudy. It was, he concluded, probably safe enough to remove the Moon Shades. He wasn't due to turn tonight, just giddy it was so close. Besides, he wasn't used to wearing anything like this, and they were starting to pinch at his nose.

Letting a sigh of relief from his mouth, Tonks let a roar of laughter from hers, "Remus! Y-your eyes, they're rimmed in black!" The shades had left rings around the wearers eyes; it looked like a face painting session had gone horribly wrong. The pink haired girl was delighted, it was something she could laugh about without having to hide it - unlike every chuckle at the ridiculous Italian phrases.

"What are these?" she asked, taking them from his hands, hands that were currently furiously scrubbing at the marks, to no avail, "I didn't realise you wore glasses. Why are they... green?"

This time, Lupin's sigh was one of resignation. Turning to his date with a wry smile, he replied, "I don't. They're 'Moon Shades'. Fred and George made them," at this, Tonks raised her eyebrows, "I know, I know. But I thought they would be at least a little okay. They knew what this meant to m-" blushing furiously, Lupin snatched the shades back, "a-anyway, they're solidified Wolfsbane, apparently. Meant to soothe moonlust. I'm starting to wonder if they ever worked."

A thought struck Tonks down like lightning, and she stopped Lupin from putting them on again, thrusting them in his jacket pocket instead, "Do you think maybe, the grease paint isn't the only charm put on these things?"

Realisation spread across his face, "Those little shits!" he laughed out, "I can't believe it. That Italian! It was their doing! I'm sorry, Tonks, I really am. I suppose I've blown any chance of a second date?"

"Don't be so sure, Lupe. Those twins are fucksters, but I'll 'ave more to deal with than them, soon enough." It was then that they reached Lupins door, although neither really wanted to part. The tenderness in Tonks' voice caught Lupin off guard, and he felt heat anew spread across his cheeks and neck; but for an entirely different reason this time.

After a chaste kiss on the doorstep, Tonks whispered in Lupins ear before departing, "Ho capito ogni singola parola."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Ho capito ogni singola parola." - I understood every word.
> 
> So, that brings us to the end of Moon(y) Shades!  
> I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Thank you ever so much for reading, it honestly does mean a lot.
> 
> As always; every comment, or kudos, is appreciated. Lets me know if I'm doing a good job (or not!)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> It does mean a lot for people to want to actually get involved with something I'm writing. Every view, every "kudos" means a lot, and comments are even better (hint, hint.)


End file.
